Efficiency review forum is April 1

By Diana PoundsMarch 27, 2014

A good place to find out more about the efficiency review underway at Iowa State is the public forum Tuesday, April 1, in Howe Hall auditorium. The 90-minute forum, which begins at 10 a.m., will include:

Brief remarks by President Steven Leath and representatives of the state Board of Regents

An overview of the process by the Deloitte Consulting team

A Q&A session

The event will be live-streamed and archived online for later viewing. Watch ISU's efficiency review website for details.

The Iowa State review is part of the state Board of Regents TIER initiative -- a comprehensive study of Iowa's three public universities. The regents in February selected Deloitte Consulting to review academic and administrative operations with an eye to maximizing resources, improving efficiency and containing rising costs.

The consultants will return to campus the week of April 14 to meet with administrators, deans, department and unit heads, and representatives of various stakeholder groups.

"We want to engage and involve as many people as possible in this review," Leath said in a March 21 letter to faculty, staff and students.

Leath encourages the university community to participate in the forum and provide suggestions on improving programs, policies and processes. Send ideas to suggestions@iastate.edu.

"We're in the early stages of this review," he said. "Everything is going to be carefully evaluated in the coming weeks and months, and we want to hear from our faculty, staff and students." He added that all savings identified in the review will be reinvested in Iowa State programs.

Across the regents system, the study has been named "Rising to the Next TIER," a reference to commitment to transparency and inclusiveness in the efficiency review. Forums also have been scheduled at the universities of Iowa (March 28) and Northern Iowa (April 7).